The National Park Service is turning 100 this year, and everyone can take part in the celebration! Here’s a list of five National Parks across the country that are certainly worth a visit for the jaw-dropping natural beauty each of them have to offer.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
North Carolina & Tennessee
Great Smoky Mountains National Park draws in more than ten million visitors each year, the most out of any other US National Park. Many visitors see the park from a mountain-skimming scenic highway, but there are more than 800 miles of hiking trails for visitors to enjoy across North Carolina and Tennessee. Whether you prefer the challenge of hiking to the crest of a mountain or sitting quietly to watch the sun set, this park offers activities for everyone to enjoy including auto tours, trails, waterfalls, overlooks, and historical areas. Making the park even more unique are the 100 native tree species that call the park home; that’s more species than in all of northern Europe!
Yosemite National Park
Montana
Over four million visitors visit Yosemite annually, and most of them spend time in the mile-wide, 7-mile-long canyon known at Yosemite Valley. Yosemite Valley was once cut by a river and then widened and deepened by glacial action. Yosemite National Park is a great option to visit if you love waterfalls, as that’s what the park is best known for. But that’s not all! Within its 1,200 square miles, you can also find deep valleys, grand meadows, ancient giant sequoias, and a vast wilderness waiting to be explored.
Zion National Park
Utah
Mount Zion National Park rises in Utah’s high plateau country; the Virgin River carves its way through Zion Canyon to the desert below. The park has striking vertical topography from rock towers, sandstone canyons, and sharp cliffs. This park is great for anyone who loves to absorb themselves in the rich history of the past, but also likes to enjoy the excitement of present day adventures. As you stroll through the park, you’ll be on the same trails ancient native people and pioneers once walked.
Olympic National Park
Washington
More than three million people a year explore the unspoiled terrain of Olympic National Park to experience its beauty, diversity, and endless opportunities for adventure, exploration, and recreation. Unlike other national parks, there are no roads crossing through. The park contains three distinct ecosystems: temperate rain forest, subalpine forest, and wildflower meadow, all along the rugged Pacific shore. The park offers endless activities including boating, camping, climbing, hikes, fishing, night sky programs, ranger programs, wildlife viewing, and winter activities. Be sure not to miss seeing the Roosevelt elk while visiting the park; the park protects the largest unmanaged herd in the world!
Glacier National Park
Montana
Glacier National Park covers over a million acres in Montana and contains pristine forests, alpine meadows, rugged mountains, and spectacular lakes. It’s a hiker’s paradise for adventurous visitors seeking wilderness and solitude, offerings over 700 miles of trails! While visiting, you can relive the past by passing by historic chalets, lodges, and transportation systems of the Native Americans. You also can’t miss the park’s Going-to-the—Sun Road, which is considered by many to be one of the world’s spectacular drives. June is the best time to visit the park, as snow is still covering the mountain peak, yet the first flush of summer wildflowers are starting to bloom.